WHAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED?
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* An 18-month trial of pill testing in Victoria
* Mobile service will be rolled out at up to 10 music festivals and events from the 2024/25 summer
* A fixed site will open in mid-2025 and be located in an inner Melbourne area close to nightlife and transport
* Victorian taxpayers will pay about $4 million for the trial
WHAT IS PILL TESTING?
* Pill-testing, also known as drug checking, tests the chemical content of illicit drugs
* Staff disclose and discuss the drug's contents so users can make a more informed decision
* Users won't be told the drug is safe to consume and will instead choose to discard or use them
DO LAWS NEED TO CHANGE?
* The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act will be amended later this year to allow the trial and legally indemnify services, staff and clients
* Possession and supply of illicit drugs will not be decriminalised
* Police powers outside the service won't change but the government plans to consult with the force and other authorities to establish a "feasible arrangement" so people aren't deterred from using the service
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
* The Victorian government says at least 31 drug-checking programs operate across the world and Australia
* Australia's first fixed-site drug checking service opened in Canberra in July 2022 after the ACT previously ran mobile sites in 2018 and 2019
* Queensland opened a permanent drug-checking service in Brisbane in April 2024 after a pill testing service was set up at Rabbits Eat Lettuce music festival earlier that month
* NSW also opened a drug-checking service at Sydney's supervised injecting room in April 2024 but the state government has resisted pill testing at music festivals
* Five Victorian coronial recommendations since 2021 have pushed for drug-checking services to reduce the risk of overdose deaths
WHAT COMES NEXT?
* Sites for the mobile services and fixed service are yet to be determined
* The trial will test different delivery models before the service is made permanent
Australian Associated Press
